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ihedn-jeunes cycles

A week at the heart of national defence

The Institut des Hautes Études de Défense Nationale is an institution for training, reflection and high-level debate on issues of military defence, national defence, national security and international security, open to the world and anchored in the European area.

In order to contribute to the development of a spirit of defence among students and young professionals, who will be active players in society tomorrow and today, it organises Youth cycles six or seven times a year, including one in overseas France, to bring together students from a wide range of sectors, military and civilian, public and private, driven by a shared desire to understand each other in order to act together.

The course is designed to raise awareness of strategic issues, while at the same time providing an insight into existing defence tools and structures. Accessible to all, it is designed to be both didactic and demanding in terms of the investment expected, and provides an excellent introduction to national defence circles. It is an excellent introduction to national defence circles, providing an opportunity for listeners to meet, cross points of view and decompartmentalise their knowledge.

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Objectives and interests

Cycle objectives

Led by high-level officials from the military, academia and civil society, the conferences - supplemented by visits and committee work - enable participants to :

understand the complexity of issues with a strong interdepartmental, European and international dimension;
identify the main players and issues in this field, whether French, European or international;
think collectively on strategic perspectives on a given theme of current international interest;
visit the defence industry and its technological and industrial environment ;
forging a common defence culture and prepare participants to work together to strengthen national cohesion.

Cycle contributions

Whatever their initial level of knowledge, the auditor develops its knowledge defence issues and France's positioning. Gathering data and analysis, and working with profiles recruited for their diversity, they learn to forming and arguing an opinion on the strategic and societal issues of tomorrow, in a world that it will help to change by anticipating change defence and security. Finally, it built operational proposals as part of a collective approach to meet the challenges of the future.

Organisation

The Youth cycles last a week, from Monday morning to Saturday lunchtime, with a dense rhythm of activities.

This represents a total of 5.5 days of training, or 38.5 hours. Committee work may exceed these hours.

The annual programme includes six to seven cycles open to the public, generally including one overseas and two in the Paris region.

To get as close as possible to potential listeners, the Young People's cycles travel to the regions. Every two and a half years or so, there is a Youth Cycle in each region.

The young people's courses are run on a full boarding basis, to make it easier for students to attend.

Courses at the Ecole Militaire are day courses (only lunches are provided and included in the registration fees).

In the DROM (overseas departments and regions) and COM (overseas communities), the Youth cycle usually lasts 5 days (Monday to Friday).

Although applications from regional nationals are given priority, each cycle is open to all candidates who meet the application requirements, regardless of their region of residence.

pedagogical format

"understanding in order to act, understanding each other in order to act together".

The educational triptych :

The pedagogy of the Youth cycles is based on a triptych the link between theory and practice, while respecting the principles of the Chatham House privacy policy :

Lecture-debates providing elements for analysis, discussion and understanding of the subjects covered;
Committee workThe aim is to develop a collegial approach to a topical or forward-looking issue;
Field visitsThese are industrial, technological and/or military projects with high added value in terms of defence and security issues, providing an opportunity to base our thinking on practical experience and human encounters.

Each cycle comprises around nine lectures and one or two visits. The programme is subject to the availability of the speakers and the sites to be visited. It will be announced once the selection results have been received and is subject to change.

The 4 youth cycle modules:

The activities are divided into modules to provide a comprehensive understanding of defence and security issues.

Module 1: Strategic issues
Module 2: Knowledge of defence and the armed forces
Module 3: International cooperation and conflict
Transverse module Committee work

becoming an auditor

► Target group

The course brings together around 80 French students and young professionals, mainly aged between 20 and 30:

young people with professional experience in the public or private sector, with a diploma at least equivalent to level 5 ;
Students or young PhDs from a variety of educational backgrounds (such as political science, international relations, security and defence, engineering, etc.);
job seekers ;
young people involved in voluntary work or holding local elected office.

The course is accessible to people with disabilities, subject to special assistance and within the limits of the requirements for travel and teaching activities.

For further information, please contact us at seminaires_jeunes@ihedn.fr and Correspondant.Handicap@ihedn.fr

The status of IHEDN Young Auditor is awarded by decision of the Director of the IHEDN at the end of the course.

► Number of places

Each Young People's cycle welcomes around 80 listeners.

► Register

No pre-requisites are required, apart from compliance with the following conditions:

register on the "Simplified procedures" website (see Upcoming cycles tab) and submit an application in the required digital format before the registration closing date set for each cycle;
only complete applications will be examined;
for working people, proof of at least a level 5 diploma (DEUG, BTS, DUT, DEUST).

► Selection criteria

The main criteria used to select candidates are as follows:

motivation for defence and security issues ;
the quality and diversity of the course;
diversity of interests ;
the diversity of commitments.

► Auditor satisfaction rate

At the end of the course, participants will be asked to complete a satisfaction questionnaire. For all Youth cycles organised from September 2023 to June 2024, 99 % of auditors felt that the training met their expectations.

► Rates

The cost of the cycle is :

515 € for working people ;
155 € for students and jobseekers.

Fees include :

accommodation arrangements (except at the École Militaire and for courses run in cooperation with the Regional Associations);
catering arrangements (lunch and dinner only at the Ecole Militaire and lunch only for courses run in cooperation with the Regional Associations);
transport arrangements during the cycle;
funding for educational activities.

They don't understand:

the return journey ;
accommodation the day before the cycle;
additional costs not related to cycle activities.

The fees charged for overseas courses are adapted to the socio-economic situation, as decided by the IHEDN Board of Directors.

The rate is declaratory (and validated by the IHEDN when the application is examined), on presentation of proof for the student/job-seeker rate.

► Financing

Information about using the Personal Training Account (CPF) :

All youth courses are eligible for the CPF, unless otherwise stated. Each cycle is open to " mytrainingaccount " withinone month before the start of the course.

Auditors wishing to use their CPF are invited to prepare their account and their application, but to submit their request only once their application has been accepted and in accordance with the instructions given to them by the IHEDN with the selection reply.

Financial assistance provided by the IHEDN Endowment Fund :

Students and jobseekers are eligible for financial assistance if they fall into one of the following categories:

beneficiaries of a higher education grant based on social criteria (BCS) ;
registered with Pôle emploi without entitlement to unemployment benefit (ARE);
recipients of the Active Solidarity Income (RSA).

This aid consists in the assumption of responsibility by the IHEDN Endowment Fund a registration fee of €70, with the remainder to be paid by the beneficiary.

Applications should be sent to seminaires_jeunes@ihedn.fr specifying the cycle concerned, accompanied by up-to-date proof (notification of definitive grant award for the current school year, notification of refusal of ARE, certificate of entitlement to RSA).

This must be done at the same time as the online application.

IHEDN will inform the applicant of the outcome of his/her application, on the understanding that the grant is not awarded systematically as it is subject to a limited annual volume.

training assessment and skills certification

► To obtain certification of competence

IHEDN's youth programmes prepare auditors who wish to do so for the "Understanding and Anticipating Defence and Security Issues" qualification, which is registered with the French Ministry of Defence. Specific France Compétences directory under number RS6804 since 1^er October 2024

Certification of competence is based on two assessment methods:

a summary ;
a prospective analysis note.

Papers must be submitted within 15 calendar days of the last day of the course. Support sessions are organised by the IHEDN after the end of the course.

The two deliverables must be sent in by the deadlines and according to the procedures indicated during the course. It will not be possible to make up or partially validate skills.

The jury awarding certification meets twice a year. Each candidate is informed personally, by electronic means, of the outcome of the jury's deliberations, within a maximum of 10 working days after the jury has met.

In 2023, 63.3% of the auditors who took part in the certification validated the target competency.

► To qualify as an auditor

Two assessment methods:

a collective report ;
an assessment of the knowledge acquired at the conferences, in the form of a multiple-choice questionnaire.

future cycles

Applications are now open 4 month before the start of the session.

IHEDN-Youth Cycles in 2025

150^e YOUTH CYCLE

LA REUNION

From 15 June to 20 June 2025

Registration is now closed.

151^e CYCLE JEUNES IHEDN/IHEMI

ÎLE-DE-FRANCE - day school

From 7 July to 12 July 2025

Registration is now closed.

More information on this cycle

For the first time, the IHEDN and the IHEMI are joining forces under the aegis of the ACADEM to offer a joint cycle for young people. The aim of this cycle is to demonstrate the synergy between state actors on defence and security issues. From 7 to 12 July 2025, over the course of 5.5 days of training at the Ecole Militaire (Paris), five major themes will be developed by combining the views of professionals from the armed forces, national defence, the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Justice: global threats, the sea, the fight against terrorism, cyberspace and the security and defence industrial and technical base. In addition to the lectures, students will discover sites dedicated to defence and security and produce committee work on themes common to both institutes.

Objectives of the youth cycle

Led by high-level officials from the military and defence sectors, academia and civil society, the conferences - supplemented by visits and committee work - enable participants to :

understand the complexity of issues with a strong interdepartmental, European and international dimension;
identify the main players and issues in this field, whether French, European or international;
think collectively on strategic perspectives on a given theme of current international interest;
visit defence, security and justice tools and their technological and industrial environment ;
forging a common defence, security and justice culture and prepare participants to work together to strengthen national cohesion.

Contribution of the youth cycle

Whatever their initial level of knowledge, the auditor develops its knowledge defence and security issues. Gathering data and analysis, they learn to forming and arguing an opinion on the strategic issues of tomorrow and to anticipating change in defence and security. In a collective approachit built also operational proposals to meet the challenges of the future.

Becoming an auditor

The IHEDN and IHEMI young people's cycle will bring together 80 students and young professionals of French nationality, aged between 20 and 35:

young professionals with professional experience in the public or private sector, with at least a level 5 qualification;
students or young PhDs from various higher education training courses;
job seekers ;
young people involved in community work or elected office.

The course is accessible to people with disabilities, subject to the need for special assistance and within the limits of the requirements for travel and teaching activities.

For further information: seminaires_jeunes@ihedn.fr or correspondant.handicap@ihedn.fr

The dual status of IHEDN and IHEMI Young Auditor will be awarded on completion of the course by decision of the directors of IHEDN and IHEMI.

Number of places

The IHEDN and IHEMI youth cycle will welcome 80 students.

152^e YOUTH CYCLE

PROVENCE-ALPES-CÔTES D'AZUR (Marseille)

From 7 July to 12 July 2025

Registration is now closed.

This cycle, day studentsis organised in partnership with the Association Régionale des auditeurs de l'IHEDN région PROVENCE.

153^e YOUTH CYCLE

ÎLE-DE-FRANCE

From 25 August to 30 August 2025